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BradleySheriff.com
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SUPPORT FOR THE 2nd AMEND. & The 252nd |
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Thursday, 30 July 2009 |
On Monday, the Bradley County Commission will vote on whether or not law abiding citizens with valid gun permits will be allowed to carry firearms in local parks, natural areas, historic areas, nature trails, campgrounds, forests, greenways, waterways and other such public areas.
I have long supported a law abiding citizen’s Second Amendment right to own and carry firearms, whether they are for hunting, sport shooting or the protection of their families and property. This is a fundamental American right guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. At the last Commission meeting, Commissioner Ben Atchley pointed out that he didn’t feel he could “take away the rights of our law-abiding citizens” to legally carry guns. I agree with him.
Parks and other such recreational areas have no full-time, dedicated police presence. We at the BCSO do what we can to help protect and defend all citizens; however, there may be times when citizens will find themselves on their own in a threatening situation until deputies can respond. Let’s not prevent a law-abiding citizen from exercising their right to self-protection. There have been many instances where private citizens have had to hold the line against a threat until law enforcement could reasonably respond to a 911 call and back them up.
The Bill of Rights references a well-armed militia. The founding fathers were keenly aware that our fledgling nation owed its defense to a well-armed citizenry. History knows them as the Minute Men, and they had to be ready, armed and prepared to do battle within minutes. In today’s world of terrorism, organized gangs outfitted with automatic weapons, and other criminal threats to the security of our communities and nation, we should never underestimate the importance of a well-armed, well-trained citizenry in deterring crime, street-level criminals, and even foreign invaders, should such a scenario ever play out on American soil.
When law-abiding citizens are prohibited from owning or carrying guns, only the criminals will be armed. The best defense against crime is an armed, trained, law-abiding citizenry.
Before I close, I want to offer my respect and appreciation to the men and women of the 252nd Military Police Company as they prepare to ship overseas. They left for Ft. Dix, New Jersey this week for some final training and will then head to Iraq for a year-long deployment. Their mission there will be to help train and advise Iraqi police units as they build their own, self-sustaining law enforcement and peacekeeping forces throughout the country’s provinces.
I appreciate the sacrifices of all U.S. military personnel who have fought so long and hard for the freedoms we have and the freedoms of those in faraway lands. I thank them all for their service. May God protect them and give them courage during their deployment and return them all safely to their homes and families.
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